The siege of the Peking legations

ASIA

UmASSBS

ITHACA. N.Y.

rharies W. WasoD CoBection
oa China ?!vJ »He Chines^

THE SIEGE

.OF THE

PEKING
LEGATIONS.

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93^90

INTEODTT'TOEY NOTE.

The following account of the Siege of the Peking
Legations in the summer of 1900 was written hastily
a short time after the events which it describes took
place. I was on a journey from Peking to Shanghai
at the time, and I wrote the story for my own use..
Though the manuscript is rough and unfinished, I
have not altered anything, and I am printing the
account now simply to enable some of my friends to
have a copy of it, as they have often expressed the
desire to read my version of the now historic Siege of
the Peking Legations.

J. H. MACOUN.

Belfast, %th Mai-cli, 1913.

The original of tiiis book is in
tine Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright restrictions in
the United States on the use of the text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924005327485

The Siege of the Peking Legations.

S.S. "Wuhu," off Taku,

10th TSTovember, 1900.

Havi>'G some time on m^y hands, I take this opportunity to
make a few notes on the events that have taken place during
the last few months at Peking. Even now I begin to forget
a good many things which happened, and I fear that, if I do
not at once write down what I still remember, the rest, except
the merest outline, will fade into oblivion.

Towards the end of May, affairs became very critical in
Peking. The "Boxers," who had been spreading from Shan-
tung into Chihli, attacked Christian communities and burnt
churches in several places. Then they attacked the Christians
and missionaries in Paotingfu and the railway engineers of the
Lu-Han Railway. The latter managed to make their escape
by river to Tientsin, some of them, however, being killed
en route.

At length the Ministers of the Foreign Powers were
partially aroused from their lethargy, and, after spurning the
advice and information supplied to them by their nationals,
decided to follow in part what had often been recommended —
to bring up some marines as guards for their Legations. The
marines were many too few, but they were all that the
Ministers would agree to get up, and they nobly made up, as
subsequent events soon showed, for their paucity of numbers.

Events now moved rapidly. The Lu-Han Railway was
torn up in places, and the engineers at Chang Hsin Tieu had
to come in, aided by a rescue party sent out from Peking.
Then the N.C. Railway Company's works at Feng Tai were
burnt, and the railroad to Tientsin was also torn up in places.
The Japanese Secretary of Legation, proceeding to the station
to meet some additional Japanese marines, was murdered by
the troops of General Tung Fu-hsiang.

Meanwhile the Ministers (Foreign) were thoroughly
aroused, and they daily demanded from the Yamen the imme-
diate repair of the railway and the restoration of communica-
tion with Tientsin. But the railway was not repaired, and its
destruction was still further proceeded with.

While things were at this pass, the Admirals at Taku
decided to take matters into their own hands. They organised

an international force of about 2,000 men, and aent it off,
under the command of Admiral Seymour, to proceed to
Peking, repairing the railway as it advanced.

At this time I was still living in the Tsungpu Hutung.
I began to feel rather uncomfortable, as only Richardson was
with me, and there were no other foreigners within half-a-
mile. Both of us always kept our rifles and revolvers loaded
and at hand. One day at the club Tweed warned me that an
outbreak was imminent, and advised me strongly to come into
the Hsin Yuan at once. I did so — I slept at the Hsin Yuan
that evening — returning only twice subsequently at midday
to my house. Three days afterwards (on the 13th June) the
"Boxers" broke out in the city, and the trouble had com-
menced in Peking itself.

Though we knew that "Boxers" were plentiful enough
in the city and that several men of high rank and position
were known to sympathise with them, the aotiial outbreak
came rather as a surprise. No one thought that the respon-
sible officials would be foolish enough to let anything happen.
Luckily, some preparations were made, and a scheme of de-
fence was arranged by the officers commanding the various
detachments. The result was that certain points were placed
in a position to be defended, and we were not altogether
caught napping.

I was at the Club when the actual alarm was given.
Someone rushed in and said that the American Mission Chapel,
on the Hatamen Street, was on fire: the "Boxers" had just
come into the city and set it ablaze. We rushed out helter-
skelter through the thick crowds of Chinese who for several
days had been thronging Legation Str^t — ever since Baron
von Ketteler had arrested and placed in his Legation a
"Boxer" who had insulted him. Tliej,French guards were
turning out, so were the Italians : the Austrians were already
ready with their machine-gun. The guards gradually cleared
every Chinaman out of their lines, and the first period of the
siege had commenced.

On reaching the Customs compound, which we had
roughly fortified, I hastened to my post on the north-west
corner. Others took up their posts elsewhere. The Japanese
marines came up the lanes to the west and established a con-
nection with the British Legation across the canal. The
British then held the north bridge over the canal. Between
the Russian and American Legations a barricade was erected
oJi the street. To the east of the Italian Legation another
barricade was built on Legation Street. That evening the
Germans seized part of the city wall behind their Legation
and the Americans another part behind theirs. (To describe
exactly how the line of defence was drawn without a plan is

5

not easy, and I content myself generally with g'iving a rougli
outline of the main points held.)

I left myself stationed at the north-west corner of the
Customs compound. There I remained all that night, relieved
in alternate watches by another man (Wagner — killed by a
shell later on at the French Legation). While he was on
duty, I tried to sleep — but there was very little sleeping !

As night advanced, columns of smoke began to arise in
different parts of the city which we soon began to identify as
fires in the various foreign missions and houses. Soon the
flames burst out through the clouds of smoke. At length the
iine Catholic Church, the T'ung Tang (situated about half
of a mile to the north of the Austrian Legation), burst into
flames. We were so close to it, and so quiet ourselves, that
we could hear the yells and the screams of the fiends that were
destroying -and murdering, and those of their victims, too!
We did not know then what we knew very soon afterwards,
that many native Christians had fled to this, their church, for
safety, and that they had been slaughtered or burnt to death
within its walls.

After the burning of this church, the "Boxers" advanced
down the Tai Chi Chang Street against the Austrians' posi-
tion. From my position I could not see them, but I heard at
once the rattle of the opening fire of the Austrian machine-
gun. The firing did not continue long. It burst out inter-
mittently for a minute or two at a time. Shortly afterwards
French and Japanese marines, accompanied by some civilians,
advanced up the street, ^hey proceeded as far as the T'ung
Tang, firing at any ''Bdxers" that thej^ saw on' the street,
and then returned. At the T'ung Tang, of course, they sav^-
evidences of what had- occurred.

The following an* the succeeding days saw similar scenes.
My own house escaped burning the first two nights, but fell a
victim the third night, after it had been completely looted.
All the shops which sold foreign goods in the main street out-
side the Chien Men were burned on account of their contents.
The outer tower (or lou) of the Chien Men was burned by
accident through this cause.

The night that the shops outside the Chien Men were
burned was one of the most horrible I have ever parsed
through. I could hear all night long, and from every quarter
round us, thousands and thousands of Chinamen yelling and
screaming, calling out " Sha, sha, sha" ("Kill, kill, kill").
The sky was red with the glare of the blazing houses. Smoke
was rising everywhere in huge, black, whirling columns.
Otherwise the sky was clear — the stars were so bright and
calm and peaceful looking. To me it seemed such a crime,
siich a desecration that men should be so brutal, so inhuman

to .-'.ich other, and Heaven above appear so peaceful and so
beueiicent to all !

During the daytime the troops of the Legations were not
idle. The Austrians at first sent some men to protect the
Belgian Legation, but after one day's experiences the troops
withdrew with the Minister and abandoned the Legation to
its fate. Then two parties were sent out and broiight in some
thousand Christian refugees from the Nan Tang. The latter
were placed in the southern end of the Su Fu, which was
shortly afterwards occupied by the Japanese. Another day a
small mixed party of troops out reconnoitring came on a party
of "Boxers" executing some Christians in a temple. They
burst their way in and killed every "Boxer" that remained in
the temple. The Dutch Legation was also soon abandoned.

About the 19th June the Yamen wrote to the Foreign
Ministers that, as the Adm^irals had attacked the- Taku Forts,
which was an act of war, China declared war on all foreign
nations, and required the Legations and their nationals to
leave Peking at once. The Ministers were very much per-
plexed as to what to do ; most were in favour of leaving, a few
of staying. Baron von Ketteler was strongly in favour of
remaining in Peking. The next day the Ministers decided to
go to the Yamen together to interview the Chinese officials.
On the morning of the 20th June, Baron von Ketteler started
from the German Legation accompanied by his interpreter,
Mr. Cordes, to proceed to the Tsung Li Yamen in advance of
his diplomatic colleagues. He was being carried in his chair,
escorted by two mounted mafoos, and following him was Mr.
Cordes, also in a chair. They had proceeded up the Hatamen
Street as far as the head of the Tsung Pu Hutung, when,
without any warning, they were suddenly fired upon by the
Chinese soldiers. Baron von Ketteler was killed on the spot,
his mafoos and chair-coolies ran away at once, and Mr. Cordes
was severely wounded. Though suffering intense paiji and
weakening momentarily from loss of blood, Mr. Cordes
managed to extricate himself from his chair and to run down
one of the side streets. He was fired at, but luckily missed.
Luckily, too, he was not pursued. He felt, as he himself
says, that he was to escape, and, though dazed and stumbling
with every step, he still managed to keep going, and fortu-
nately in the right direction. The native Christians of the
American Mission found him and took him into the mission.
Later on he was carried to the German Legation, and thence
to the hospital in the British Legation. He has since re-
covered from his wound.

I saw the German Minister's mafoos come galloping back,
and heard them call out. We learnt what their news was.
Everybody was astounded, and everyone feared for the worst !
What coiild we few men do now that the troops had joined

the "Boxers''? The Austrians prepared to leave their Lega-
tion, and we got ready to send our things to the British
Legation. About four o'clock the Chinese soldiers began to
fiire on the Austrians, and the latter prepared to abandon their
position. We had only time to get a few of our things away
when the Austrians commenced their retreat towards the
French. Arrived at the British Legation, I found that the
British had already abandoned the north bridge and were
occupying positions around their Legation. Mr. Huberty
•James, in attempting to cross to the British Legation by the
north bridge, had just been shot dead by the Chinese soldiers.
About this time the Italians also abandoned their Legation
and retreated on the French.

Once in the British Legation, I fell in at once with the
rest of the younger Customs men as an active volunteer.
Shortly after we came in we were sent to assist in repelling
the Chinese attack from the north bridge. Lying on the roof
of a house and firing over the top was my first experience of
fire. I confess I was somewhat startled when a shot struck
the roof just in front of me ! We successively occupied posts
in the Students' Library, Students' Quarters, the Hanlin, the
Su Fu, the First Secretary's House, the Mongol Market, etc.
Grradually most of us got accustomed to the unusual situation
in M-hich we unfortunately were placed.

It is impossible for me to recollect all that took place,
even in the British Legation, and much less in all the other
Legations and elsewhere, during the siege. I shall not
attempt to do so. At first we expected the daily arrival of
Admiral Seymour's column. Then we expected the foreign
troops to arrive at one date after another. From the depths
of depression our spirits rose gradually during those long and
dreary two months, till we burst into shouts of victory when
the Sikhs rushed into the Legation !

Early in the siege the Chinese attempted to delude us by
a bogiis decree of the Emperor stating that they were ordered
to refrain from attacking us and to extend their protection.
That same evening their attack was as bad as ever ! Till
about the 14th July the attacks continued with unabated
severity. From that date till about a week before the troops
came in, the Chinese confined themhelves. principally to snip-
ing, pushing forward barricades, and mining. For the last
week they attacked with rifle fire more fiercely than ever.
Several times during the duration of the siege attempts were
made to induce us to leave Peking, but these offers were, of
course, refused. The murder of Baron von Ketteler for ever
barred any attempt to treat : no reliance could be placed on
the word of a Chinese "Boxer" ofiicial.

It may be interesting to describe our arrangements when
we were shut in finally on the 20th June. The military and

marines were under the command of their own officers in each
Legation. Soon from the civilians collected together at the
British Legation men were appointed to take charge of all
the various departments of non-combatant work. Food,
fortifications, fires, etc., were each made separate depart-
ments, over which certain men had control. All the supplies
of food and rice that could be obtained were taken into the
British Legation. Mr. Chamot, of the Peking Hotel, also
collected large supplies. Luckily a large number of ponies
and mules were within the Legation lines, and these, together
with rice, formed our principal food for the greater part of
the siege.

Confined as I was in the British Legation and appointed
to assist in its defence, my personal knowledge of what
occurred is principally limited to what took place in that part.
Having also been engaged a good deal in the Fu, I have also
personal reminiscences of actions that occurred there, for
whole days sometimes at a time. Excepting the actions at
the Mongol Market, I have personal knowledge of only a few
incidents that -took place at the other points of defence. I
did not keep a diary for two reasons: (1) I had not sufficient
time, and (2) during the earlier part of the siege I did not
think that any of us or of our belongings would escape
destruction. For these reasons I cannot give an account in
any chronological order, nor even synchronise the events at
different points of defence. I shall simply detail anything
that I can remember in the best order that I can recollect.

Early in the siege the Chinese attempted to destroy the
Legations by fire. The buildings close to the British,
Russian, American, French, and German Legations and the
Fu were successively set fire to, but fortunately without
success. As a result, the defenders themselves pulled down
and destroyed all remaining buildings lying close to the Lega-
tions. The fire at the south stables of the British Legation
was one of the worst that I can remember. The buildings
adjoining were set on fire, the gate of the stables was in
flames, and, under cover of the buildings, ' the Chinese
approached to within some fifteen yards of the gate. Inside
we worked like slaves to pile up against the bhizing gate a
huge pile of bricks and stones and rubble. For a long time
the issvie hung in the balance whether the buildings would be
burned or not. A sortie by the marines drove off the Cliines'?
at the right moment. Another sortie into the Hanlin, shortly
after the south stables' fire, increased our defensive area.
We had been much worried by rifle fire from that front
previously. In retiring, the Chinese burnt all but the last
court : this we turned into an outpost of the north end of the
Legation. Two other sorties were made to capture guns, but
without success, from the British Legation. The remainder

9

of the time was mostly occupied with repelling attacks
(p^enerallj' at night), outpost work, and fortification. Send-
ing detachments almost daily to assist other threatened posts
was one of the most onerous and dangerous duties of the
marines and volunteers.

The Russians had a very similar work to the British, and
so had the Americans. Attacked at first by the burning of
adjacent buildings, they pulled down those remaining. They
had constantly to repel attacks and to do continuous outpost
duty. After the Americans had taken the post on the city
wall and fortified it, they had a never-ending fight. In this,
however, they were always supported by detachments of
British and Russian marines, who also took part in the assault
on, and capture of, the Chinese barricade on the wall. The
bravery displayed by the assailants and the brilliancy and
success of the action have already been much extolled, and
need no further words from me. An attempt was also made
some time previously to capture a gun at the Chien Men, but
the attempt was unsuccessful.

Turning to the eastern side : After the Italians had aban-
doned their Legation, the buildings to the east of the French
and Germans were successively burnt. Through these ruins
the Chinese gradually approached closer and closer, till in the
end, after the explosion of two mines, only one-third of the
French Legation remained in the hands of its defenders. The
enforced retirement of the Germans from the wall greatly
facilitated the approach of tlie Chinese, and the attack on this
side was consequently the most severe. Besides defending
their barricades and posts, the Germans on at least one occa-
sion made a brilliant bayonet-charge, which was most
successful. Shell-fire was particularly destructive in its
effects in the French and German Legations.

The defence of the Su Fu, which the Japanese at first
undertook alone, was probably one of the finest sustained
efforts made during the siege, and also one of the most skilful.
As the Chinese broke down the outer wall of this enclosure,
a series of barricades was erected in the buildings inside.
The buildings were burned, and more barricades and trenches
were prepared. These were held, though at great loss of life,
till the Relief arrived. During the greater part of the time,
Italians and British marines and volunteers assisted the
Japanese. From the Fu several sorties were made, unfortu-
nately without much success, and several Hves were lost through
them. In fact, more lives were lost and more men wounded
in and around the Fu than anywhere else.

The hospital was very busy during the fighting. The
doctors and the ladies who assisted as nurses were ceaselessly
employed. From first to last there were about seventy
foreigners killed and one hundred and fifty wounded.

10

The part the Chinese Christians played was an arduous
and trying one. They helped to build the fortifications and
to do any other work required. Their food supply almost ran
out, and some of them probably died of sheer starvation.
Some of them were killed at work. Towards the end of the
siege it was only possible to give them each a few ounces of
grain a day, and that, too, not rice, but coarse grain. Their
situation was truly pitiable, and they looked fearfully worn
and emaciated.

The behaviour of the civilians during this very trying
time was generally very good, and the military derived much
benefit from their assistance. The laymen, in particular,
entered into the work of defence with much energy, and even
enthusiasm, particularly the younger men. So miich was this
the case, that it is comparatively easy to enumerate the names
of those who skulked and showed cowardice : they were con-
spicuous by their small numbers. Of instances of almost
reckless bravery among civilians there were quite a number,
and this is all the more remarkable when it is remembered
that none of them had ever been in action before. Few were
accustomed to military movements, most were very young in
years, and several had never fired a rifle before. The civilians,
too, were mostly armed with weapons more or less obsolete,
some even with old sniders and shot guns ; while the Chinese
were armed with modem rifles. Further, the defenders had,
besides a few machine-guns, only one small one-inch cannon
and, later, a small, rusty, muzzle-loading cannon ; while the
assailants had numerous Krupp guns and plenty of ammuni-
tion. How and why, in the course of two months, the Lega-
tions and all their inhabitants were not completely destroyed
is more or less a miracle. As regards the missionaries, their
conduct tln-a-vis the other civilians has been absurdly over-
rated: a few of them undoubtedly behaved most excellently,
but it would be difficult for even the most wildly imaginative
to see any heroism in the conduct of the remainder. To sit
and write diaries and to read and pray may be efficacious, but
such passive heroism would never have kept the Chinese out
for even one day, not to speak of two months !

A few incidents that occurred at various dates may be
interesting to mention. A Norwegian missionary, who was
but half witted, escaped from control and ran into the Chinese
lines, wht-re he was captured. After some days he was sent
back with the request that " we should keep any other lunatics
that we possessed!" According to his own version, lie told
the Chinese their errors in their system of attack and our
weak points. liuckily they apparently did not believe him.
The general opinion was that, as a common danger and with
malevolent intentions (on his own admission), he should have
been shot. On another occasion a French volunteer who

11

spoke Chinese approached a Chinese barricade and got into
conversation with the soldiers. He was stupid enough to
cross over on their invitation to drink tea with them. They
treated him well, and brought him' offi to a Yamen to meet
Jung Luh, but the latter not returning by evening, he was
sent back. On many occasions our outposts got into conver-
sation with the Chinese opposite them, and eggs, and some-
times even vegetables, were obtained in this way. We even
managed to induce one of the soldiers to take a message
to Tientsin.

The general health of the garrison was wonderfully good
during the whole time. Only one part of the population
suilered severely — the young children. Being unable to
obtain sufficient supplies of milk, most of them became very
weakly, and many were with difficulty kept alive : several
unfortunately died. It was very sad, indeed, to see the
funerals of these helpless little ones, whom everyone knew had
died simply from want of their necessary food. Fate, too, was
very hard on some parents. One family lost both t^eir chil-
dren, another their only child.

Many of the younger men (little more than big boys)
were very much worn out by their exertions and privations,
but none admitted they were ill till they simply could not
perform their duties. A few were laid up for a few days at a
time, but soon returned to duty. Want of sleep at night and
insufficient food seemed to pull men down most. At the time
we thought we were going to come through our terrible ordeal
with only such losses as we had actually sustained up to the
day of relief, but the after-effects of the siege had not been
reckoned with : almost half the participators were laid down
with sickness very soon afterwards (enteric, typhoid, diarrhoea,
etc.), and several vinfortunately died.

Our efforts to communicate with the outside world were
very unsuccessful, and theirs with us equally so. For a long
time we heard nothing, nor were we successful in getting a
message through to Tientsin. At length we communicated.
News at first was not very inspiriting. Then when
we heard of the postponement of the departure of
the Relief Force we were still more disappointed. Would
we be able to hold out to the end, and would
our supplies last 'i Were the generals so callous about
our fate, and would they not make an effort and hurry up to
save us 'i We had done more than anyone could expect —
might not they do something to emulate us 'i Such were some
of the opinions and remarks of the defenders. We discussed
everything when we met together, and we did not bless the
delays. When at length we knew the troops had started, and
(later) that the -Tapanese advanced division was at Matou,.

12

and that their general expected to be outside Peking on the
14th August — well, the excitement rose to fever point !

Besides accurate news from Tientsin, we had, of course,
lying reports from Chinese, and particularly from a pretended
turncoat soldier of Tung Fuh-hsiang's. He reported towards
the latter part of July a series of foreign victories from
Tientsin as far as Matou, and then he said there was a
repulse. At this point we had just got a Tientsin message
to say that the troops had not yet started, and we were wait-
ing anxiously for him and his next news — but he came
no more !

Occasionally, towards the latter part of the siege, we had
communications from the Yamen on various subjects, gener-
ally demanding that we should at once leave the city, and
sometimes promising an escort. The Yamen would also
convey news of general interest (death of King of Italy, etc.),
and telegrams sometimes from Foreign Governments inquiring
about their Ministers. The Ministers refused to telegraph
except in cipher. The American Minister was first allowed
to do so, and then the others did the same, giving the true
state of affairs. Their telegrams, I understand, had great
effect abroad.

For a long time we knew very little that had occurred in
the city, and usually believed that there had been a revolu-
tion. Gradually we got to know more, and even to obtain
Peking gazettes. We learnt, among other things, that
several high Ministers who had attempted to oppose the
attack on the Legations had been seized and executed in the
most cruel and brutal manner. News also reached us that
Tungchow was being hastily fortified, and later that, but for
a small opening, all the gates of the city were being closed
by heavy barricades. Then we ourselves began to notice
greater movements among the enemy's troops, and from the
Avails we saw large numbers proceeding to the south. During
the last few days we even began to fire on these bodies of
troops from the distance, a measure which we did not usually
venture to take when we thought that our ammunition might
hardly last out the siege. We felt, and then we knew, we
were getting near the end, and might risk a little of our well-
saved store of ammunition. We also learnt that the Emperor
and Empress Dowager were preparing to leave the city and
to transfer the capital, to Singan-fu. A hurried movement of
troops to the westward over the north bridge of the canal on
the 12th August seemed to confirm this news.

An account of the siege would be very incomplete with-
out some notice regarding the duties which the military, the
marines, and the volunteers had to perform daily and nightly
during its duration. When sorties were ordered, the party

13

that went out seldom exceeded forty men — sometimes it
consisted of only some fifteen or twenty men. These small
parties had at once to rush into the fire of always much more
numerous bodies (hundreds, at least) who were posted behind
walls or entrenched. Usually a gun was at hand to fire into
the small body of assailants. As a rule, the sortie had to be
abandoned after a short advance, owing to the utter impossi-
bility of its further progress ; but on every occasion that it
came to a hand-to-hand fight the victory was never for a
moment in doubt, and the white man or the Japanese was
always the victor. In spite of the great danger, the dash and
movement made sorties much less trying to the nerves than
outpost duty, particularly as the outposts were in such close
proximity to those of the Chinese. The length of the lines
which we had to defend made it necessary to spread out the
defenders at large intervals and to require from them long
hours on duty. As regards my own corps of volunteers, they
would be at duty, at one post after another, two or three
(sometimes four) days at a time without a complete night's
rest. The impossibility of getting anything more than a
broken rest at night was what tried men most, and at most
posts this was, always the case. The Chinese generally rhade
their attacks at night, and varied them from one hour to
another on different nights. One night a man would be on
his post alone, only some twenty yards or so from where the
Chinese were posted. Not a movement or a sign of anything !
The night is dark, and listening is the only means of discover-
ing the movements of the Chinese. Suddenly in the distance
he. .hears the horns of the Chinese troops. Then the dogs
bark, and the barking gradually comes nearer. All at once
there is a regular pandemoniuni! Rifles seemed to be fired at
the shortest range all around him. The bricks of his barri-
cade are knocked out, chips fly about, bullets seem to whistle
past him in ev6ry direction, the buildings behind him rattle
with the deluge of shot thrown against themj The remaining
men of the post are rudely awakened from their fitful sleep —
at a run they take up their posts at the loopholes to his right
and lejft or wait behind in support. There everyone stands
watching keenly with rifle to shoulder, and waits for the first
appearance of the enemy or the order to fire. Sometimes we
would not fire one shot during an attack, at other times we
would fire single shots at individual Chinese who expos_ed
themselves, and again we would fire single volleys at long
intervals. The Chinese on several occasions attempted to
make a rush on us, but the reception which their first men
never failed to get always checked for good the enthusiasm
and enterprise of their comrades. Bad as attacks were,
sniping was almost worse. The outpost would not have the
support and assistance of his comrades (a single shot at

14

intervals would not seem to call for them to come to his aid) ;
he never knew when a thoughtless movement might bring
him into the most imminent risk of life, and he might lie
wounded or dead, unnoticed till his relief came. The con-
stant strain on long, solitary watches tried most men
severely, and, long after the relief came, they found it
difficult to sleep soundly at night,

I Tiave described above the general character of the forms
of attack which we had to undergo. An unintermitted rifle
attack, supported by all-night shelling, was a modification
which was often, indulged in. Firing with cannon for a week
on end was quite the rule at one period, and the cannon were
advanced to within fifty yards of our defences at" some points.
I have stood (in the Fu) on duty close to a place where a
cannon at short range was bringing down walls by the square
yard ! (It seemed to me always that the sound of a cannon's
fire had greater effect on men's nerves than the actual
destruction it caused.) During the last few nights the -
Chinese •■ attacked with redoubled vigour, but their efforts
were in vain. At no point did they succeed in occupying any
ground previously held by the defenders. The last week
before the Relief Force arrived was signalised bj'^ much more
vigorous bombardment and attack than had been kept up for
some time before, and the last two nights the attack practi-
cally never ceased, while several attempts were made to carry
our positions by assault.

On the night before the troops arrived I was stationed in
the Fu. While on outpost duty during the day, my position
was constantly being fired into from the enemy's barricades
nearest to it, only some twenty yards away. Bricks were
knocked out and ricochet bullets were dropping around.
With nightfall rain began. The trench to my rear becam^e
a quagmire. Suddenly one of the most furious rifle attacks
that we ever sustained commenced. From all along the
Chinese lines the firing was incessant. Lead was simply
poured into us. The other men on the post who had come
up, as well as myself, got down into the trench, to keep as
much out of the line of fire as possible and to escape the fall-
ing bricks and ricochet shots. We thought at last that the
Chinese were preparing to assault, so, to daunt them if
possible and to let them know that we were still in our original
position, we four chaps began to cheer. For the moment the
firing slackened. The Japs on our left then began cheering
and blowing their bugle for "the charge," and the Italians
on the extreme left began cheering and rattling stones in
kerosene oil tins. In the midst of this din on our side, the
Chinese attack was renewed with even increased vigour. I
really thought that our position had been carried somewhere —
the firing sounded so near that I was nbt, §ure that the- enemv

15

had not pushed in some post behind me. But we dared not
move. To increase our perplexity still more, a machine-gun
began to work somewhere on our right. We thought it was
one on the Chinese side — we did not know it was our own
Austrian gun's opening fire. Gradually the fire slackened off.
Then two of our post went off for a rest, and poor de Courcy
and I remained on.

For five solid hours ^y companion and I stood or sat in
that trench, reinforced by the remaining two men of the
picket whenever the attack became severe. It rained all the
time, and it thundered, too. We were wet through — the
water was over our ankles. About midnight the other two
men relieved us. Then we retired to our picket house, being
called out occasionally. The attack, however, was wearing
out, and at last we could get a little sleep. It was not for
long. Suddenly I was wakened' up by Mr. Sugi, our
Japanese professor, calling out, "Listen! Do you hear that?
Do you hear the machine-gun working outside the Hatamen ?
The Relief Force is ontside the city!" We stood there listening,
we laughed, we joked, we promised we would give our
enemies "what for" now once the troops were in and we had
the upper hand ! Our remaining watches that morning were
undisturbed by much firing: the Chinese, in fact, had shot
their last bolt on this side of our defences and were beginning
to withdraw elsewhere.

About nine o'clock our relief picket came over, and we
went back to the Legation for breakfast and rest. There we
heard that the Mongol Market position had been equally
vigorously attacked, and that the Chinese had on one or two
occasions attempted to begin a charge against the position.
All our available machine-guns and our two cannon had been
brought up and been ke,pt firing on the enemy during the
night, and none of pur ground had been lost, and no one
(wonderful to relate) had been hurt. We got no rest, how-
ever. After breakfast we were sent ofl' to the Mongol Market
to be ready in case we were wanted.

News now began to come in. Captain Percy Smith came
down from the city wall telling us that from there they could
see the Chi Hua Men being shelled ! The foreign troops were
certainly outside. News, too, came from the Fu that the
Chinese had quietly been slipping away, and that none were
to be seen to the eastward of the Fu and north of the French
Legation. Over against us at the Mongol Market the Chinese
were still firing : they put twenty-six holes in our Customs'
Volunteer flag. National flags had been hoisted up all over
the Legations and the Fu for the benefit of the Eelief Force.

Tiffin passed off with cheerfulness. We were all in a
state of suppressed excitement and expectation. Afterwards

16

we returned to the Mongol Market. To pass the time, those
of us off duty began playing "poker." We were still deep
in the game when we heard a shout come from the Legation.
Soon after Konovaloff suddenly rushed in with a shout, " The
Relief Force is in, the Sikhs are in the Legation, everyone is
out in Legation Street to meet them!" We did not believe
him at first; we told him he was joking us. "Well," he
said, "listen to them shouting yourself!" We heard, we
rush(!d outsile, atd we cheered for all we were worth! Our
enemies at once fired a heavy volley at our barricade — but
what did we care now?

Such of us as could leave ran at once into the Legation.
What a scene there was ! Men, women, and children — every-
one out on the lawn cheering, yelling, crying, mad with
excitement and delight; and there coming in, line after line,
waving their turbans alid cheering, real, live, big, burly
Indian troops, dripping with perspiration, dust-covered, and
thoroughly tired ! Oh, it was delightful ! I could not con-
tain myself. I rushed up to the first one I saw — I clapped
him on the back — I shook his hand. I yelled, I cheered. My
pent-up feelings had to be relieved in some way. I who had
thought I should never come out of this awful siege alive
could now realise and see that I was at last saved !

The rest is soon told. English troops, Americans, French,.
Russians, and Japs all soon made their way into the city,
and in the course of a few days Peking was fully in the power
of. the Relief Expedition.

J. H. MACOUN.

Cornell University Library

DS 772.M17

The siege of the Peking legations /

3 1924 005 327 485